Exhaust system

[RAY]

What colour should the steel pipework and mufflers be under our cars, matt black, satin black, silver ?

Ray

[DaveB]

I have a new MB exhaust and it’s matt black except the rear muffler which is silver - zinc metallic not painted. The only paint on the rear muffler is a galvanizing paint over the welds.
I think it’d be good to repaint the entire exhaust in good quality matt black exhaust paint after it’s been welded together and the welds galv painted. Before final installation I mean.

[Pawel66]

The new original exhaust pipe from manifold to the first muffler is bare metal silver.

I am not sure what color it was back in the day.

[rwmastel]

I have a new MB exhaust...

Directly from MB?

[DaveB]

I can’t remember if it was from Tom Hansen at MB or restorer Dave Gallon but anyway this was years ago Rodd so not relevant to availability today.
It is the early 230sl version which has a different, shorter, front pipe set. Probably like yours.

[DaveB]

But I see your car is 66 so probably not like yours..

[rwmastel]

... but anyway this was years ago Rodd so not relevant to availability today.

OK.  I thought original, or original style, exhausts are difficult to find today.

[Pawel66]

OK.  I thought original, or original style, exhausts are difficult to find today.

For 230SL, depending on the VIN, the front pipes and middle pipes are there but indeed I see mufflers not available at the moment. I bought both of them a couple of years ago from Mercedes, but now they are not there. If I were keen on original exhaust, I would investigate as chances are they will produce these parts lot eventually. This is how I was chasing the front pipe for 280SL.

It will be quite expensive though...

[rwmastel]

Does anyone else think an all black exhaust like DaveB got is unusual?

[RAY]

Obviously if the system is left in the original steel colour in no time at all it will turn to a not so nice rust colour, so I guess my question really is :

When people carry out full restorations of our cars what is the "correct" colour that most people finish the exhaust system in ?

[Raymond]

What's wrong with Stainless?

[ja17]

As I recall, the original Pagoda exhaust systems were black from the factory.

[rwmastel]

Interesting, Joe!  I'll have to go looking at more old photos.  For some reason I just have images in my mind of raw steel.

Raymond, I don't think anyone said there's anything wrong with stainless, except it's not factory correct.

[Pawel66]

If you look at photographs in the service materials - it may help. Looks like it is as ja17 says - black.

Factory photo suggests, however, that the front pipe may be different.

But then if you go and study the "Holy Grail", it looks all black.

[Jonny B]

On my 250 SL, the exhaust system, from Mercedes, is satin black from the header to the tail pipe. This was installed when the car was restored in 2000. The rear muffler has the MB Star.

[Pawel66]

On my 250 SL, the exhaust system, from Mercedes, is satin black from the header to the tail pipe. This was installed when the car was restored in 2000. The rear muffler has the MB Star.

Exactly - that is what I think it was.

Then when I bought mufflers and middle pipes form Mercedes around 2012, they came grey/silver. The front pipe that I bought a couple of years ago came as on the picture.

[RAY]

I guess I will go with a satin black then.

Raymond, nothing against stainless, at the moment the system is in sound condition but is a mish mash of colours from rusty (surface), black and a creamy colour and I just want to smarten the whole system up.
I had the headers and the downpipes ceramic coated a while ago and now it's time for the rest of the system, have got all new brackets, bolts and rubbers and even new, now 'infamous'', square edged tail pipes  !

Thanks for everyones comments.

Ray

[rwmastel]

Maybe we should be recording any definitive findings in the Tech Manual, but having the discussion and presenting evidence in our forum dedicated to such things.

https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?board=29.0

[stickandrudderman]

Joe's recollection is correct (almost).
The exhausts were a very dark grey, possibly even the same "very dark grey" that should be in the boot and on the sills. (trunk and rockers to you foreigners!)

[Jonny B]

I stand corrected - per Stickandrudderman, and a bit of a closer look at the pipes on my 250 SL, very dark grey.

[ja17]

Yes, often times those heat resistant black paints are actually a very dark, dark grey. Also Pawel's picture shows the correct factory installation of the two connector pipes (between the front and rear muffler). They are often installed backwards.